Improvement in hay-rakers and loaders



fdluitrh tate @anni ff-.iter

Gl DEON C. MEAD, OF GUILFORD, NEW YORK.

Letters .Patent No. 71,19-8, 'dated November 19, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAY-RAKERS AND LOADERS.

dlgs tlgchult referat tu in these rttett ateut mit making tutt nf tlg; 'tml-u.

Specification of' certain Improvements in Machines for Loading Hay, invented by GIDEoN C; MEAD, of Guilford, in the county of Chenango, and State of New York.

My invention relates to certainy improvements in hay-rakcsand loaders, to be worked by horse-power, for gathering up the hay and depositing it upon the load.

I The said improvements consist, first, in thc combination with a jointed rake-head and spring of a roller for reducing the friction ofthe rake-head upon thc guides, as hereinafter .more fully set forth; second, in thc combination, with the slide up which the hay is drawn, of an additional or supplementary plate or portion, having a slightly-curved lower edge, which additional portion may be raised or lowered, so as to make it approachmore or less closely o the surface of the ground, as the depth or condition of the hay may require; thirdin the combination, with a series of rake-heads carried by an endless apron or belts, said rake-heads being jointed at or near their centres, and the guide against which the middles of said rake-heads rest when the rake-teeth are gatheringv the hay, of a spring which allows A s aid guide to rise7 when required, in passing over uneven ground, and thus prevent the breaking or injuring of the rake-teeth or other part ofthe machine. In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved hay-rake and loader.

Figure 2 is a 4rear view of the same, the endless belts or apron, and the rake-heads attached thereto, being removed.

Figure 43 is a side view in detail of one of the rake-heads.

Figure 4 is a view in detail of the lower side of the said rake-head, as seen in tig. 3.

Figure 5 isa section in detail, through the line x a, iig. 2, showing a device by which the rake-heads may' adapt themselves to uneven ground. l

A is the frame of the machine, B the driving-wheels, and D the endless belts or apron, to which the rakeheads C are attached. E, F, and Gr are guide-rollers or pulleys, on which the endless belts D run. The shafts on which the pulleys E and F are secured are geared together by cog-wheels P and Q, so that the said pulleysd E and F both serve as driving-pulleys to drive the rakes. H are two `supplementary pulleys, about half way from F to Gr, which serve to steady the belts and prevent their vibrating, and also to tighten said belts by means ofthe slots z' and bolts j. I is a guide, against which the middle of the rake-heads rest when the rake-teeth are gathering the hay. It is held down in its place by the spring J, and kept in position by the4 bolts K. These bolts are fitted into the piece L, which is secured to the axle'M loosely, so that they will readily slide up and down. Their lower ends arc screwed irmly in the guide I, and move with it. R is a guide, which supports the middle of the rake-heads, as they pass up loaded with hay, and S is a slide or apron, upon which the hay is pushed up by the rake-teeth. O are the teeth of the rakes,`secured to the rake-heads C, by 'a spiral spring formed on their upper ends, so that if one or more shouldl strike auobstruction, such to oth or teeth would yield A and not break. The rake-heads C are formed in two parts, connected together by a hinge-piece, a, and are held straight except when bent by the unevcnness of the ground, by the springs b. A frictionroller, ,hung on the central part of this spring, serves to reduce the friction of the rake-head against the guides I and R, as it slides along in contact with said guides. N is the clearer, which insures the removal ofthe hay from the teeth ofthe rakeshaftcr 'they pass the top of the slide S. The hay will usually drop from the teeth of the rakes, but by the use of the clearer N, its doing so is made more certain.- This clearer consists of a shaft, d, secured in bearings y, and provided with radial arms c. It is revolved in a direction the reverse of that-of the roller or I pulley G, by means of the beltf, which runs in grooves or on a suitable part ofthe pulleys Gr and Y. T repre'- scnts any suitable cart or wagomfor receiving the hay, the machine being fastened thereto by means of a tongue, U, in any `suitable manner. This fastening may bc so constructed and arranged that the hay may be deposited upon any desired part or parts of the wagon or cart. On the slide S, up which the hay slides,- o r attached thereto, is a supplementary piece or slide, V, which may be adjusted to any desired height, by means'of the bolts h.

In operating this machine, it is attached by means of the tongue U to any suitable vehicle, and the slidev being adjusted at a suitable height from the ground, the vehicle is moved forward. T-liewheels, which carry 'the machine, having teeth or projceticns'on their peripheries, revolve, thereby turning the cog-wheel P, which drives the cog-wheel Q. By this means the pulleys E and F are revolved, and they drive the belts D and rakos C in the direction indicated by the arroivs. As the machine advances the hay is gathered in front of the raketeetll, and drawn up on the slidesV and S, and discharged at the top of the slide S, whence it falls upon the Wagon or cart below. Should any of the hay adhere to the mice-teeth after they have passed entirely above the slide S, and within reach. of the arms e of the clearer N, the said arms c will clear such hay from the said teeth. In passing over ground which is somewhat uneven, the rake-heads will accommodate themselves thereto, by means of the springs b and J, which permit the seid rake-heads to yield, when necessary, for that purpose. The spring in the rake-teeth will also act in eonjunetion with the springs and J to the same end.

I claim as my invention- A 1. The combination, with thehinge-piece a and spring b, of the roller c, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

2. The combination fvith the slide S of the supplementary slide or piece V, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. Y

3. The combination, with the rake-heads C and guide I, of the spring J, substantially as and for the purpose described.

GIDEON C. MEAD.

Witnesses:

N. W: OADY, THOMAS DIeKINsoN. 

